Psychology 1000 Chapter 3
_____ is the neurotransmitter involved in functions such as voluntary motor control and the regulation of attention, learning, and sleeping.
Acetylcholine
_____ prevent reuptake of norepinephrine and dopamine and increase the activation of their receptors; this means they are agonists.
Amphetamine and cocaine
Which statement about heritability is true?
As the heritability index goes higher, genes account for a greater part of behavior.
Marcus lost his pinky in a fishing accident. If his brain demonstrates plasticity following the amputation, which is likely to occur?
Brain areas adjacent to those responsible for his pinky will take over different functions.
Stephanie had a stroke and now cannot say anything, even though she can understand things spoken to her. Based on her deficit, Stephanie's _____ was likely damaged during the stroke.
Broca's area
Which is involved in language?
Broca's area
Sandy has volunteered to participate in a study conducted by the Human Connectome Project. She was told that the procedure in which she will participate will help scientists provide information about pathways that connect brain areas to one another, and that it is a critical tool in mapping the connectivity of the human brain. The procedure that Sandy will experience is;
DTI (diffusion tensor imaging).
_____ refers to the probability of sharing genes.
Degree of relatedness
A device abbreviated as _____ is a beneficial tool for linking complex brain structures and regions to particular behavior responses because of its ability to measure electrical activity outside of the brain.
EEG
Dr. Lee is doing a study on perception and wants to measure brain activity for cortical structures that are on the outer area of the brain. He cannot afford to use equipment that gives good resolution but really only needs information about action potentials as an indicator of activity. Dr. Lee decides to use a(n) _____.
EEG
Dr. Sanchez is interested in measuring the difference in action potentials in the frontal lobe of the brain between schizophrenic people and a control group of non-schizophrenic individuals. He attaches a device to the outside of the skull that will measure the action potentials. The device he is using is a(n) _____.
EEG
If James has trouble sleeping and wants to have doctors measure his brain activity while he is asleep, the doctors will most likely use a technique abbreviated as _____ to do so.
EEG
The benefit of using an _____ is that it allows researchers to make fundamental discoveries about the nature of sleep.
EEG
_____ is a major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, while _____ is a primary inhibitor.
Glutamate; GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)
_____ affects dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, influencing the systems that help people perceive visual images.
Methamphetamine
_____ is a drug that both increases the action of neurotransmitters and blocks neurotransmitters, which sometimes results in the alteration of perceived visual images.
Methamphetamine
Which statement is true about the major components of the brain?
They are all interdependent and interact with one another.
An electroencephalograph (EEG) is:
a device used to record electrical activity in the brain.
Which is the BEST to use to understand the response of an individual neuron to a stimulus?
a single-cell recording
The term plasticity refers to the:
ability of the cortex to adapt to change.
Andrea's grandmother was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Andrea wanted to do some research so that she could help her grandmother better understand this disease. Through her research, Andrea found that Alzheimer's disease involves the deterioration of the neurotransmitter _____.
acetylcholine (or ACh)
Antidepressants and SSRIs such as Prozac work as a(n) _____ of serotonin to help increase levels in the synapse and thereby elevate mood.
agonist
Thomas has been having problems eating lately and his doctor thinks it is likely because the neurotransmitter that regulates this behavior is probably not performing properly. If the doctor wants to increase the activity of this neurotransmitter, he will most likely prescribe Thomas a drug that acts as a(n) _____.
agonist
Acceleration in a car differs from an action potential because it is not a(n) _____ event.
all-or-nothing
Brain imaging techniques have allowed researchers to discover that an area of the brain called the _____ is involved in emotional processing.
amygdala
Beta-blockers, which prevent effects of a neurotransmitter, would be considered:
antagonists
While Jamal eats, he always chews with his mouth closed. This requires that he breathe through his nose but Jamal does not have to focus on this because his _____ nervous system allows him to do it automatically.
autonomic
A person who can think about wanting to pick up a coffee mug, but who cannot actually initiate the movement, may have damage to a set of subcortical structures called the _____.
basal ganglia
Functional imaging techniques measure increased _____, which helps carry energy to activated areas.
blood flow
In an experiment, a split-brain patient shown a face assembled from half-face components, would indicate that they saw:
both of the faces
The central nervous system is comprised of two elements:
brain and spinal cord
Lighting a match can be compared to an action potential because both events:
can be described as all-or-none events.
Javier has been feeling very lethargic lately and the doctors think he may have a thyroid problem. They told him the problem could be originating in his brain or at the gland. If it is beginning in his brain, it is coming from his _____ nervous system.
central
Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that carry signals within the brain. Based on their location, these would be a component of the:
central nervous system
Compared to vertebrates, invertebrates lack a hierarchical organization of their:
central nervous systems
Eddie has been feeling very lethargic lately and the doctors think he may have a thyroid problem. They told him the problem could be originating in his brain or at the gland. If it is beginning in his brain, it is coming from his _____ nervous system, and if it is beginning in his gland, it is coming from his _____ nervous system.
central; peripheral
A basketball star's ability to dribble the ball down the court, jump up toward the basket, and dunk the basketball can be credited to an area of the hindbrain called the:
cerebellum.
The _____ has a wrinkled surface and is responsible for complex perceptions, emotions, and thoughts the highest level of the brain.
cerebral cortex
Vertebrates such as birds and reptiles have larger forebrains but have almost no _____.
cerebral cortex
_____ is a condition that is a form of progressive brain damage that can cause cognitive and emotional deficits and has been linked to repeated concussions. deficits in afflicted individuals, including inability to concentrate, memory loss, irritability, and depression, usually beginning within a decade after repeated concussions and worsening with time.
chronic traumatic encephalopathy
Neurons are functionally _____, in that they support _____ functions.
distinct; three major types of
L-Dopa is a drug given to individuals with Parkinson's disease. This drug helps with the symptoms of the disease because it is an agonist for _____.
dopamine
_____ is the neurotransmitter that regulates motor behavior, motivation, pleasure, and emotional arousal.
dopamine
Endorphins are involved in:
dulling pain and elevating mood.
The action potential refers to the point when a(n) _____ signal is conducted along the length of a neuron's axon.
electric
Information is transmitted within the neuron as a(n) _____ signal, and information transmission between neurons is a(n) _____ signal.
electrical; chemical
Both stages of communication between neurons can be said to use _____ signaling.
electrochemical
fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) scans have confirmed have confirmed the hypothesis that followed Phineas Gage's accident: that the frontal lobe is important for the regulation of _____.
emotion
fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) scans have confirmed a hypothesis that followed Phineas Gage's accident: that the frontal lobe is important for:
emotional regulation
The experience of "runner's high" by athletes is caused by:
endorphins
Functional imaging allows researchers to watch the brain in action by detecting the use of _____ by brain structures. activity in the brain.
energy
_____ influences that determine whether genes are expressed or the degree to which they are expressed, without altering the basic DNA sequences that constitute the genes themselves, is called epigenetics.
environmental
Nurture refers to the:
environmental influence on things such as behavior, traits, and psychological disorders.
After Phineas Gage's accident in 1848, he:
experienced a dramatic personality change.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is to computerized axial tomography (CT) scan as:
fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) is to PET (positron emission tomography).
Susan and Leah are investigating single neurons in the primary visual cortex of mice and have found a neuron that responds only to a circular shape. They have identified a neuron known as a(n) _____.
feature detector
A person who incurs damage to the amygdala is likely to be impaired at:
feeling frightened in a dark alley.
Although the first neurons appeared in simple invertebrates such as jellyfish, the first central nervous systems developed in _____.
flatworms
Which is an all-or-none event?
flushing a toilet
Maria recently was in a car accident and afterward developed impairment in making decisions and judging between good and bad actions. She most likely suffered damage to her _____ lobe.
frontal
The motor cortex is located in the _____ lobe.
frontal
Through the case study of Phineas Gage, researchers found that the:
frontal lobe is involved in planning, decision making, and emotion regulation.
Barry is studying neuroscience and has developed an idea for an experiment in which he looks at brain activity while people view images of their loved ones. Barry now needs to gain access to a laboratory that uses:
functional brain imaging.
A heritability score of 0 means that _____ account(s) for none of the differences in a particular trait. in a population rather than abilities within an individual.
genes
Nicole went to the doctor because she suffered a seizure while she was at work. She was happy to hear the doctor tell her that the seizure came from too much of the neurotransmitter _____, and not from a particular brain area.
glutamate
Roger Sperry's studies of split-brain patients demonstrated that the different brain hemispheres:
have somewhat independent functions.
Which major area of the brain deals with information coming in from and going out through the spinal cord?
hindbrain
The ontogeny of the brain refers to: rapidly developing, eventually allowing a newborn to enter the world with a fairly sophisticated set of abilities.
how the brain develops within a given individual.
Studies examining the stimulation of the _____ have demonstrated that this area is related to pleasure and reward.
hypothalamus
The _____ regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst, and sexual behavior.
hypothalamus
Patients suffering from Parkinson's disease have trouble with motor skills because they have problems with their dopamine levels. Doctors use L-Dopa to treat the symptoms of the disease because it is an agonist for the neurotransmitter. This means it:
increases the activity of dopamine.
The basal ganglia are a set of subcortical structures that direct _____ movement.
intentional
The left hemisphere is specialized for _____ processing.
language
The _____ of spinal injury often determines what abilities are lost.
location
Presynaptic neuron is to postsynaptic neuron as:
message-sending neuron is to message-receiving neuron.
Dynus watches Amber reach for a slice of pizza. In response to her behavior, Dynus experiences an activation of his _____ neurons.
mirror
When Kayla sees Dion reach for a doughnut at work, she knows he is probably doing this because he is hungry. She can make this inference with the help of _____ neurons.
mirror
When spinal reflexes occur, interneurons relay sensory input to the _____ in the spinal cord and fast contractions can then occur.
motor neurons
The tegmentum is the portion of the midbrain responsible for:
movement and arousal.
The _____ acts as an insulator to the axon and speeds transmission of neural signals.
myelin sheath
At the resting potential, the inside of the neuron naturally has a(n) _____ charge.
negative
The _____ is the structure formed when the embryo forms a ridge and folds together to close the groove; it eventually became the basis of the spinal cord.
neural tube
Tyler has been diagnosed with a disease that involves deterioration of the myelin sheath. After the disease progresses, he begins to have trouble with his coordination. This is caused by his _____ communicating slowly and inefficiently. sheath deteriorates, leading to a variety of problems including loss of feeling in the limbs, partial blindness, and difficulties in coordinated movement and cognition.
neurons
Marcie floats a note across a river to Sarah instead of directly passing it from her hand to Sarah's hand. If, in this scenario, the river represents the synapse and Marcie represents the terminal button, the note represents the _____.
neurotransmitter
Receptors are located on the dendrites of the neuron receiving a signal and allow the binding of _____.
neurotransmitters
Receptors are located on the dendrites of the neuron receiving a signal and allow the binding of:
neurotransmitters
Terminal buttons are the knob-like structures that branch out from the axon and release _____ into the synapse.
neurotransmitters
Runners sprinting short distances in a relay race and handing off a baton is an analogy representing how the neural signal jumps between the _____, or the breaks in the myelin sheath.
nodes of ranvier
Samantha gets nervous when she is home alone and always feels as though she is hearing things in her house. Samantha's increased awareness of her immediate environment is likely caused by the neurotransmitter _____.
norepinephrine
The _____ lobe processes visual information.
occipital
Susan wants to learn about how the brain develops in individuals prenatally and over the lifespan. To investigate this, Susan should study the _____ of the brain. rapidly developing, eventually allowing a newborn to enter the world with a fairly sophisticated set of abilities.
ontogeny
Rachel recently suffered a stroke and now has paralysis in her left hand. If she wants to increase the likelihood that other areas of her brain will take over for the brain area previously allocated to her hand, she might try to:
perform cardiovascular exercise.
Bryan wants to learn about how the brain has evolved in humans. To investigate this, Bryan should study the _____ of the brain.
phylogeny
The _____ releases hormones that direct the functions of many other glands in the body.
pituitary gland
Heritability is a(n) _____ concept and so does not tell anything about an individual.
population
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is a neurotransmitter involved in:
preventing neurons from firing.
If a neuron was compared to a prison, the potassium ions could be compared to the _____ when the neuron is at the resting potential.
prison guards
If a neuron was compared to a prison, the sodium ions could be compared to the ____ when the neuron is at the resting potential.
prisoners
Structural brain imaging:
provides information about the basic structure of the brain.
Spinal reflexes are simple pathways in the nervous system that _____ generate muscle contractions.
rapidly
In order for a neuron to respond to a particular neurotransmitter, it must possess a(n) _____ for that neurochemical.
receptor
In order for a neurotransmitter to affect surrounding neurons, the molecular structure of the neurotransmitter must fit into the _____ like a key fits into a lock.
receptor
_____ are located on dendrites of a receiving neuron and allow the binding of neurotransmitters, which initiate or prevent a new signal.
receptors
The hindbrain is NOT likely to be involved in the act of: reticular formation, the cerebellum, and the pons.
reciting a poem from memory.
During the _____, the ions of the neuron are imbalanced and it _____ immediately send another signal.
refractory period; cannot
The reticular formation is a small cluster of neurons that:
regulates sleep, wakefulness, and levels of arousal.
During the _____ potential, the inside of the neuron naturally has a negative charge.
resting
A person who incurs damage to the basal ganglia is likely to be impaired at:
riding a bicycle
Which scenario best exemplifies the way a signal is passed down an axon coated with myelin sheath?
runners sprinting short distances in a relay race and handing off a baton
Which is NOT an example given by the text in which plasticity has or can occur?
schizophrenia patients
LaTonya is blind and often relies upon her sense of touch to gather information about the external world. When she touches someone's face to learn what they look like, her _____ neurons send the information to her brain.
sensory
To process information from the external world, _____ receive input from the body and transfer the information to the brain through the spinal cord.
sensory neurons
Suzanne has been having difficulty falling asleep and waking in the morning. She has also noticed that her appetite has changed and that she has become somewhat more aggressive. What neurotransmitter is MOST likely involved in Suzanne's symptoms?
serotonin
Serotonin is involved in the regulation of:
sleeping and waking
Unlike the autonomic nervous system, humans have voluntary control over the _____ nervous system.
somatic
Anya is having a baby and it is three and a half weeks since conception. At this stage, the _____ will have begun to form from the neural tube.
spinal cord
There is a dance event going on with students attending from two different elementary schools. Students from one school are wearing purple shirts and students from the other school are wearing silver shirts. Imagine that the students in the purple represent potassium ions and the students in silver represent sodium ions, while the gymnasium represents the neuron. If their distribution is similar to what occurs at the resting potential for a neuron, which students would be moving in and out through the gym doors the most often?
students in the purple shirts
Shawntae arrived home at night and upon entering the house, her boyfriend jumped out from behind the door to scare her. She immediately reacted by screaming and punching him in the face. Shawntae reacted this way because of her _____ nervous system.
sympathetic
The two major subdivisions of the autonomic nervous system are the:
sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
Neurotransmitters are chemicals that transmit information across the _____ to dendrites on the receiving neuron.
synapse
When Juanita wakes up in the morning, she naturally turns toward the sun shining through the window. This behavior is likely guided by an area of her midbrain called the _____.
tectum
Ceclia recently was in a car accident and afterward developed an inability to produce language. She most likely suffered damage to her _____ lobe.
temporal
The ends of axons that release neurotransmitters are referred to as:
terminal buttons
The central nervous system is composed of:
the brain and spinal cord.
Which part of the brain forms first in prenatal development?
the hindbrain
Which two portions of the central nervous system are absolutely essential to survival coming into and out of the spinal cord.
the hindbrain and the midbrain
Which is the BEST analogy for the function of the myelin sheath? sheath deteriorates, leading to a variety of problems including loss of feeling in the limbs, partial blindness, and difficulties in coordinated movement and cognition.
the rubber coating around an electrical wire
If the axon of a neuron can be compared to a telephone line, then the myelin sheath can be compared to:
the rubber coating around the wires.
If the dendrites of a neuron were compared to a telephone receiver, then the soma could be compared to:
the switchboard.
If a neuron receives stimulation, but this stimulation is just under the _____ for the neuron, the action potential will not occur.
threshold
Teresa is studying neuroscience and is in a class that covers the evolution of the brain. She has been assigned the task of looking at a brain and assigning it to a set of categories. The brain distinctly has different components: a hindbrain, a midbrain, and a forebrain. Based on this observation, Teresa should guess this brain fits well into the _____ group, because the central nervous system for this group is always organized into hierarchy.
vertebrate
The sac-like structures found inside the terminal button containing neurotransmitters are called: the synapse.
vesicles
Mirror neurons are activated when:
watching the behavior of another animal.